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The man accused of stabbing a teenager was "extremely angry" when he chased him as he thought the boy had tagged his house, the High Court in Auckland heard this morning.
South Auckland businessman Bruce Emery has pleaded not guilty to stabbing the teenager Pihema Clifford Cameron in Manukau on January 26.
In his opening address, Crown prosecutor Aaron Perkins said Emery took a knife, which he held up to the jury, and said Emery was "extremely angry" when he chased Pihema Cameron before allegedly stabbing him.
Mr Perkins said Emery believed Mr Cameron had tagged his garage door and chased him down the street.
"The track that knife took into the body of Mr Cameron was an entry point in his chest, slightly to the left of his right nipple, damaging his right lung, causing his lung to collapse.
"It carried on to enter one of two major pumping chambers of his heart," Mr Perkins said.
He said Mr Cameron lost a lot of blood and likely died in a matter of minutes.
Mr Perkins said Emery was accused of taking the law into his own hands.
He described the killing as unnecessary and avoidable.
Mr Perkins said the Crown would call 15 witnesses during the trial, which has been set down for five days.
Seven women and five men have been selected as jurors.
Justice Hugh Williams earlier warned perspective jurors to only consider evidence given in the courtroom.
He said if they had strong views about tagging or graffiti art, then they should make that known to the court registrar but that it was not an invitation to get out of jury service.
Emery, dressed in a dark suit, was flanked by two security guards at today's appearance.
- NZHERALD STAFF
